Eric Johnston ("EJ") is the creator of the QCEngine quantum computation simulator, and also an acrobat and competitive gymnast. As an engineer, EJ values surprise and whimsy above all other things. He studied Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at U. C. Berkeley, and worked as a researcher in Quantum Engineering at the University of Bristol Centre for Quantum Photonics. EJ worked at Lucasfilm for two decades as a software engineer for video games and movie effects, along with occasional motion-capture stunt performance.